Video and audio may be recorded on a variety of mediums including a videotape. A videotape is a magnetic tape used for recording full-animation video images. The most widely used videotape format is the one half inch wide VHS cassette that is commonly used in a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR). A VCR is a videotape recording and playback mechanism common in many households.
A problem with recording information, e.g., video, audio, on a videotape is that a videotape has a half-life of approximately ten years. That is, one half of all videotapes deteriorate at a point of not being usable in approximately ten years as a result of demagnetization, overuse, age, etc. Subsequently, information, e.g., video, audio, including special memories, e.g., high school graduation, recorded on a videotape may eventually be lost.
A recording medium that will eventually supersede videotapes is commonly referred to as Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). A DVD is an optical disc that has the same overall dimensions of a Compact Disc (CD) but with significantly higher storage capacities. DVDs have the advantage over videotapes of not degrading from repeated use or age. Therefore, it is desirable to convert information stored on a magnetic tape, e.g., videotape, that may eventually be lost to a DVD format.
Currently information on a magnetic tape, e.g., videotape, may be stored on a DVD by playing the videotape in a high quality VCR. The output of the VCR is in a standard TV format, e.g., National TV Standards Committee (NTSC), Phase Alternating Line (PAL). The TV signals may then be transferred to a device, e.g., digital video camcorder, that may be configured to convert the TV signals into a digital video representation. The digital information may then be transferred to a computer via a high speed bus, e.g., FireWire, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus. The digital information must then be stored on a disk, e.g., hard drive, prior to compressing and converting the digital information to a DVD format by software, e.g., DVD encoder software, as the software, e.g., DVD encoder software, cannot compress and convert the digital information in real-time. Since the software, e.g., DVD encoder software, cannot compress and convert the digital information in real-time, a significant amount of digital information must be stored in memory, e.g., hard drive, thereby resulting in a storage problem. For example, converting a single VHS tape (2 hour tape) to DVD format using the above process may require a storage capacity of 200 gigabytes which exceeds the storage capacity of most personal computer hard drives.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a process of converting magnetic information stored on a magnetic medium, e.g., videotape, to DVD format requiring less storage capacity. It would further be desirable to eliminate hardware in the process of converting magnetic information stored on a magnetic medium, e.g., videotape, to DVD format.